1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to multi-precision computation in graphics processing units.
2. Background Art
More and more, graphics processing units (GPUs) are being used to perform general compute operations (such as, for example, physics simulations). These general compute operations increasingly involve double-precision computations. Conventional GPUs, however, are usually configured to perform operations on graphics data—which typically involves only single-precision computations, and not double-precision computations.
Double-precision computations are conventionally performed by a single operating block specially designed for double-precision computations. Unfortunately, such an operating block cannot efficiently perform operations on graphics data.
What are needed, therefore, are methods and systems that facilitate the performance of general compute operations by GPUs. More specifically, what are needed are systems and methods that enable GPUs to perform double-precision computations using single precision multiply-add units.